UNCG Baseball Drops Series Opener Against Pittsburgh, 8-4
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) baseball team was defeated, 8-4, while facing the Pittsburgh (Pitt) Panthers in non-conference action to begin a three-game weekend series on Friday evening at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
The Panthers got on the board first with a pair of runs in the top half of the first frame. It began with Luke Cantwell roping a single through the left side. He later scored on a double down the first-base line from AJ Nessler. After reaching on a walk earlier in the inning, Ryan Zuckerman scored to make it 2-0 Panthers on a sacrifice fly hit to right-center by Lorenzo Carrier.
After Sebastian Pisacreta reached on an error in the infield to start the second, he scored on a sacrifice fly hit out to right-center by Cantwell. Zuckerman then singled through the left side to score Caden Dulin, which made it 4-0 Panthers.
UNCG scored its first run of the game during the fifth inning. After Trey Truitt hit a leadoff double that one-hopped the wall in right, he advanced to third on a groundout and later scored on a wild pitch. With the bases loaded, Luke Holland lined a single to left and scored Boone Herman and Jacob Budzik to cut the deficit to one, 4-3.
Pitt extended its lead to 7-3 with three runs on three hits during the seventh inning. Jayden Melendez plated the first two runs with a single down the right-field line. Gavin Miller then singled through the left side in the next at-bat to score Carrier.
UNCG got a run back in the bottom half of the eighth when Parker Wight scored after a ball batted to short by Jacob Dilley snuck under an infielder’s glove. The Spartans trailed the Panthers 7-4 through eight frames.
Pitt plated one more run in the top of the ninth to push its lead back to four, 8-4. Ethan Firoved then threw his third inning of relief for Pitt in the bottom of the ninth and earned a save after pitching a 1-2-3 inning to secure the 8-4 victory.
NOTES:
Holland led the Spartans offensively with two hits and two RBI.
Starting on the mound for UNCG, Sam Murchison pitched four complete innings with four runs (three earned) allowed on five hits while walking one and striking out five.
Truitt and Budzik also had a hit each.
Both sides drew four walks in the ballgame.
The Spartans’ pitching staff had the edge in strikeouts, 14-12.
PITCHING RECORDS:
Patrick Gardner: W, 2-0
Sam Murchison: L, 2-1
Ethan Firoved: Save, 2
RECORDS:
UNCG: 4-4, 0-0 SoCon
Pitt: 6-2, 0-0 ACC
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UNCG will take on Pittsburgh for game two of the three-game weekend series on Saturday at UNCG Baseball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
Courtesy of Connor Wachtel
Strategic Communications Coordinator
UNC Greensboro